Panoramic images allow us to capture images that come close to the human visual field. They thus enable a better overall impression of a place than images of normal cameras. Panoramic cameras allow capturing such panoramic views by using a single camera or several single cameras. The images of several single cameras can be later assembled into a seamlessly composite image.
For cylindrical panoramas, special cameras exist that can project the scenery on an analog film or digital imaging sensor. Incomplete spherical panoramas can be imaged by photographing a suitably shaped mirror (e.g. ball) and distortion can subsequently be corrected. U.S. Pat. No. 3,505,465 describes a catadioptric video camera that enables a 360° panoramic view.
Fully spherical panoramas can be created by capturing single images and subsequently assembling them (automatically) by a computer. Thereby, the images can be captured either simultaneously by multiple cameras or sequentially with a single camera.
A single camera can be rotated to take overlapping images that can be assembled later. This principle works with a normal lens, fish-eye lenses and catadioptric systems.
In order to circumvent problems caused by time shifted image capturings of a single camera, multiple cameras can be mounted to cover the full solid angle of 4 pi sr. In this case the visual field of the cameras overlap and allow a later assembly of individual images.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,463,280 an omnidirectional 3-D camera system is described which is composed of several single cameras. U.S. Pat. No. 6,947,059 describes a stereoscopic omnidirectional camera system composed of multiple single cameras. U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,725 discloses an omnidirectional camera system in which the single cameras are arranged as a dodecahedron.
The term “camera tossing” describes throwing normal cameras using a timer with preset delay for taking a photograph during flight. Several design studies for panoramic cameras exist, as well as for single cameras that are thrown or shot into the air.
“Triops” is the concept of a ball with three fish-eye lenses. The “CTRUS” football is supposed to integrate cameras into the surface of a football. The “I-Ball” design consists of two fish-eye lenses integrated into a ball to be thrown or shot in the air.
In the art, there are single cameras to be tossed in the air. “Flee” is a ball with a tail feather. “SatuGO” is a similar concept without a tail feather.
It has not been described so far how to obtain a good sharp image with these cameras that are tossed in the air.